Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(113)

“I don’t deserve her.”

“I don’t deserve Charlie and yet I have her and I’m grateful for her. So be grateful your lady has no taste and marry her before she changes her mind. Marry her and know that no matter what happens, you both have a home in Dallas.” Tag was quiet for a moment. His voice was hoarse with emotion when he spoke again. “I can’t lose another brother, Ten.”

And that was reason enough. He owed Ian Taggart the world. He owed Faith his devotion. “I’ll come home then and I’ll bring Faith with me. Tag…I would do anything for you.”

Ian gave him a manly hug. “Stand by me while I bury Theo. It’s going to be a rough couple of months. I have to watch after Erin and Case.”

“I’ll be there.” He realized something. He wasn’t the only one. “We’ll be there.”

He would win Faith over. He would keep her. One good thing. It was all a man needed. One good thing could make the rest of life seem not so bad.

He stepped back, giving Ian his space. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to, but eventually Faith’s going to want to go back to Africa.”

Ian nodded. “McKay-Taggart Africa. I like it.”

“Hey, Knight got to put his name on it. McKay-Taggart Smith and you’ve got a deal.”

Tag nodded. “I like to keep it in the family. Now go and get your girl. She’s probably making Sean crazy by now. I want you two out of here by tonight. Sean and I are going to do some recon to find out what they did with our people.”

With their bodies. “Ian, if I can help…”

“You’re twelve kinds of f*cked up. Go home and rest and heal. Phoebe’s all freaked out. She’ll be over here if you don’t get home soon. I’m sending you out with Faith, and the rest of us will be back as soon as we can. I’m letting Nick and Erin stay if they want. They deserve to help get their people back. I need Brody with us. You’re injured and Faith’s a civilian, so you two get to go home. Check in on my girls while I’m gone.”

His girls. Ian’s wife and daughters were the most precious things in his world. The fact that he was trusting Ten with them said something. “I will.”

Ten moved to the door with newfound purpose. He had a job to do. He had people to protect. Suddenly, all that revenge didn’t seem so necessary.

All his brother had ever wanted was for him to be happy. Jamie wouldn’t have wanted vengeance. It was past time to honor his brothers. All of them.

“And Ten?”

He turned at the door. “Yes?”

“I’ll take that two grand in cash.”

For the first time since that awful moment in Faith’s bedroom, Ten smiled. Tag had bet him two grand that he would end up married and damned if he wasn’t. “She still has to say yes.”

“Somehow, I think you’ll work that out.”

Ten walked out into the hallway. It would be best two grand he’d ever spent.





CHAPTER NINETEEN



Faith looked outside. The storm was abating, the winds dying down. Soon it would be time to leave. She wouldn’t come back to this island again. She would be held at some sort of safe house until McKay-Taggart dealt with her father, and then she would be alone. She likely wouldn’t see Ten again. Even if she did, he would hold her apart. He would treat her like a client because he didn’t think he was good for her.

“Hey, I can’t get anyone interested in food. Do you want some eggs? I think I saw some sausage in there. I can whip up a frittata or some kind of casserole for later, but I could get you something quick now.” Sean Taggart wasn’t as big as his older brother, but he had what she liked to call the Taggart presence. Even in his obvious grief, he was solid.

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I guess I’m with the rest of them. It’s not a long flight back to the States. I’ll get something once we’re there. Besides, I have no idea how good a pilot Nick is. I don’t know how well I do in small planes.”

They would be using a four seater to get to Miami. From there they would catch a commercial flight to Dallas. According to Sean, everything was set up and she had false identification and tickets on a night flight. Once she got to Dallas, she would be staying with Jesse and Phoebe Murdoch.

Surely Ten would come and see his sister after he was done with his mission. She might get to see him one last time.

“It’s about two hours to Miami. You’ll be there in no time,” Sean assured her. “And I think Nick’s staying here. Some of our plans have changed, but you would have to ask Ten about those. He wants to make the decisions when it comes to you.”

“Shouldn’t I get a say in that?”

Sean’s hands came up. “Hey, you always have a say, but I think you should work that out with him. He’s your Master after all.”

He gave that up when he decided to leave her. And the world was far more complex than some contract she signed long before she knew what was going on—and under false pretenses. Tennessee Smith thought he could have his cake and then not have to eat it, too?

The shock of the events of the previous day was starting to wear off and Faith thought it was pretty good timing. If she waited much longer to confront Ten, he wouldn’t be around to argue with. He would shove her on some plane and tell her it was all for her good and then traipse across the planet on his revenge mission that wouldn’t bring back anyone.